Feeling Flabby At 40? A Pilates Instructor Shares Their Best Tips To Melt Arm Fat

1. Incline Pushups

The first pilates arm workout that Hilliard recommends for toning up your arms is incline pushups. She instructs: "Use a stable surface like a countertop for support. Place hands slightly wider than [the] chest on the edges of the countertop, chair, bed, or sofa that won't move. Walk [your] legs back so you're in a straight incline from head to heels. Glue legs together, come to the balls of the feet, engage the core and keep your neck long and gaze forward. Bend the elbows lowering your body until your chest is in line with your elbows. Return back up to straight arms by engaging the core, chest, and biceps."

2. Tricep Dips

Tricep dips are a bodyweight exercise designed to build strength in your arms, shoulders, and chest. Hillard says, "Sit on the edge of a stable chair or sofa. Place hands on the edge of the seat and scoot your tailbone off the sofa, walking feet away until knees, hips, and torso all make 90-degree angles. Engage your core and keep your shoulders relaxed as you bend your elbows to lower your body just below the seat. Press back up to straight arms by engaging and squeezing through the triceps muscles on the backs of the arms. Complete each move 10 times and move on to the next. Try completing three sets at a time and increase reps to 20 as you build strength."

3. Iron Cross Arm Circles

And, another easy at-home bodyweight exercise is iron cross arm circles, Hilliard says, "Stand upright with heels connected and toes turned slightly out with heels lifted 2 inches off the floor. Bend the knees and hold low, engaging the quads and core for balance. With a 3 lb weight in each hand, raise arms out to the side to shoulder height to form a T shape or Iron Cross. With knuckles to the sky and palms to the floor begin to circle the weights up back and around about the size of a softball."

The Bottom Line

While it may be tempting to just wear long sleeves in an attempt to cover up arm flab, that is hardly a long-term solution. But, thanks to Hilliard, there are some pilates workouts you can do to tone up and lose that stubborn arm fat. Try incline pushups, tricep dips, and iron cross arm circles for your next workout. Just remember, consistency is key! And, if you're still not seeing any results check out these 15 other workouts you can try.

READ MORE: 4 Arm Exercises That Are Never Worth Your Time, According To A CPT–They Do Nothing!